Daniel and Derek Present: The Chronological Floyd

[D_Davis]

The Chronological Floyd

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080915/eu-britain-pink-floyd/images/0566a159-d897-4357-9675-24f3ef6f310d.jpg

I've been wanting to start a new music-based thread here for awhile, and today's sad news of Richard Wright's passing has provided me with the proper direction. Pink Floyd is, without a doubt, one of the most important bands in my musical journey. So much of the music I make and listen to has roots found in the music of Pink Floyd; their tendrils of dense sonic-mastery have manipulated, informed and shaped the very landscape of progressive rock and roll. I've always preferred longer compositions, albums over singles, lyrics that offer thought provoking imagery, and bands that make sonically interesting music; Pink Floyd did all of this, and did it better than just about any band I can think.

Pink Floyd provided the soundtrack for my high school and college days; they got me through bad times, good times, high times, and low times. They scared the hell out of me, comforted me, and opened my mind to a plethora of new ideas, both musical and otherwise.

http://media.guelphmercury.com/images/ed/9d/3599f7da4618961ea195991f173a.j peg

This thread will be a chronological journey through each of their albums. Derek and I will each be choosing our favorite tracks from every Floyd album, as well as taking time for some bootleg and video tangents. There will probably be some doubling up on certain songs - that's cool - it just means that that particular track is really, really good.

[Teh Sausage]

My new favourite thread.

[D_Davis]

Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1968)

http://darksideoftheweb.webcindario.c om/pink%20floyd%20front/The%20Piper%20At%20The%20Gates %20Of%20Dawn.jpghttp://dkpresents.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/pink-floyd-the-piper-at-the-gates-of-dawn-1967.jpg

Nothing like a little controversy to start things off....

I am not a huge fan of Syd Barrett era Floyd. I find it troubling that there are some people out there who truly believe that Floyd's career began and ended with Barrett, a proposition that greatly discredits 4 extremely talented musicians and artistic visionaries.

I simply prefer the direction the band took after Syd's departure, and, ironically, some of their best material was written because of his departure - from the band, and from reality. Without Syd going crazy and freakin' out, we wouldn't have the artistic impetus of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall to some extent.

However, I do love some Syd songs, and I even enjoy some of his solo stuff, and here, with Piper, is where his crazy journey began.

My favorite tracks from Piper:

1. Lucifer Sam - this track has an amazing groove. It sounds like some crazy spy music. I love the lead guitar line, and the rhythm section is surprisingly tight. Roger Waters is an underrated bassist, and he always was. The dude could groove like nobody's business, and on this track he shines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8sNEedLeHY

2. Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk - chaotic psychedelic rock at its best. The song is frantic, schizophrenic, and totally of its time. When I think of the acid-sixties, I think of this tune. I wish I could have freaked out with some groovy chicks at the UFO club to this - that would have been awesome.

And remember, gold is lead, choke on bread, Jesus bled and pain is red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSA2I9oRroE

3. The Gnome - Lord of the Rings, fantasy pastiche was all the rage, and this song captures this era perfectly. It's a little nerdy, goofy, funny, and oddly sincere. I imagine Barret actually believing that he is singing about a little gnome that lived in his mother's garden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbWyC93EmyI&feature=related

Some of my favorite Barret-era Floyd moments first appeared as bootlegs, and I'll address those later...

[dreamdead]

I too have never been a fan of the Syd era. PF's musical ideas later became far less rooted in time-specific song structures and melodies, whereas this album felt completely rooted to its time period. On some level that's perfectly acceptable, especially as a young band, but beyond "Astronomy Domine" I could never get into this release.

[D_Davis]

PF's musical ideas later became far less rooted in time-specific song structures and melodies, whereas this album felt completely rooted to its time period.

Exactly. Much of their music post-Barret, pre-The Wall, sounds timeless, some of it still sounds like it is from the future. This album is definitely a relic of its time. It is a dang cool sounding relic, but I don't find it as interesting as even the stuff they eventually did on their next release.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Yeah, Piper at the Gates of Dawn blows. I had a friend in high school who loved this album, but every time we listened to it I was really just forcing myself to like it. Can't say I'm sorry the Syd days ended as soon as they did.

[Raiders]

Well, I'll step up and say Piper at the Gates of Dawn is my favorite Floyd album.

[D_Davis]

Well, I'll step up and say Piper at the Gates of Dawn is my favorite Floyd album.

That's cool. It's not my least favorite, but it is nowhere near the top.

[D_Davis]

Syd Barret era Floyd - Non-Album Tracks

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/07/12/pink_floyd_wideweb__470x397,0. jpg

(while waiting for Derek's first entry...)

The years immediately following Piper were interesting ones for the band. It is during these years that they would bring in David Gilmour, and the band would begin to develop their epic space-prog-rock sounds. These years are also a goldmine for tape traders and bootleg collectors, and I will be covering a few of the more famous concert recordings from this era at a later time.

There were are also quite a few non-released (at least officially at the time) songs that Barrett performed with the band. Many of these I like better than anything on Piper.

1. Scream Thy Last Scream - sonically, this is a most interesting song. There are many layers of vocals, some pitch-shifted in a comical and surreal way. Nick Mason actually sings most of the lyrics, but the song is definitely from the mind of Barrett. It is bolstered by a creative instrumental part and a number of tempo changes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OPzPoSxha8

2. Vegetable Man - probably my favorite Barret-era Floyd song; it simply rocks. And what's with whacked out musicians and vegetables? (Brian Wilson used the crunching sounds of various vegetables for a rhythm track on Smile, comically lampooned by J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. in the film Grace of My Heart) I love the break down in the middle of this song - the composition is creative, and really keeps things interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7e1RUXUx7o

Both of these were recorded around the same time as See Emily Play, which would later appear on the compilation Relics. You could put together a fantastic Barrett-era EP with See Emily Play, Jugband Blues (from Saucerful of Secrets) Scream Thy Last Scream, and Vegetable Man - an EP that I think is better than their first album.

[Derek]

Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s1030.jpg (http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pink_floyd/the_piper_at_the_gates_of_dawn/)

I'll echo Daniel in saying I'm not the biggest Syd-era Floyd fan either, although there are several great tracks on Piper. I think his first solo album, The Madcap Laughs, is the highlight of his career and perfectly captures his brilliance as a songwriter.

Anyway, here are my picks from Piper:

1) "Astronomy Domine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2b-TiCPdrE)" - A no-brainer in my opinion, though I actually prefer the live version on Pulse to the album cut. Still, there something to the rawness of the studio version, the rough-edged guitar sound clashing against the ghostly voices, Waters patient yet complex basswork and Wright's time capsuled psychedelic keyboards. Dated yes, but certainly one of the finest songs of the era.

2) "Bike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9U-Rzd7Lqs)" - This is the Piper track that hinted at the genius of Barrett as a song writer. The song has these great rhythms that Barrett stretches, often extending lines, forcing that music to keep up with his absurd ramblings and other times slowing the pace. As a psychedelic pop, it's hard to ask for more than this weird, funny and groovy little tune. Gotta love Wright's piano here.

3) "Pow. R Toc H. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cNX1b-fAlc)" - An underrated gem, this aimless song makes the journey the purpose and is the only track on the album that has a truly improvisational feel. I'm sure a lot of people hate it for that, but I love its simplicity, jazzy feel and how it shines the light on every musician in the band before it ends. Minor Floyd in the grand scheme of things obviously, but I still find it pleasurable.

[D_Davis]

2) "Bike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9U-Rzd7Lqs)" - This is the Piper track that hinted at the genius of Barrett as a song writer. The song has these great rhythms that Barrett stretches, often extending lines, forcing that music to keep up with his absurd ramblings and other times slowing the pace. As a psychedelic pop, it's hard to ask for more than this weird, funny and groovy little tune. Gotta love Wright's piano here.



This is a fun track, and it was almost a choice of mine.

[D_Davis]

1) "Astronomy Domine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2b-TiCPdrE)" - A no-brainer in my opinion, though I actually prefer the live version on Pulse to the album cut.

I, too, prefer the Pulse version; this is sacrilege to most Floyd fans!

:)

They opened with AD when I saw them, and it was pretty damn awesome. A very cosmic moment that perfectly set the tone for a great concert and experience.

[Derek]

1. Scream Thy Last Scream - sonically, this is a most interesting song. There are many layers of vocals, some pitch-shifted in a comical and surreal way. Nick Mason actually sings most of the lyrics, but the song is definitely from the mind of Barrett. It is bolstered by a creative instrumental part and a number of tempo changes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OPzPoSxha8

Great stuff. I love this song, but completely forgot about it because I rarely ever play the rarities/singles disc I have of theirs. Awesome song.

[D_Davis]

Great stuff. I love this song, but completely forgot about it because I rarely ever play the rarities/singles disc I have of theirs. Awesome song.

It's amazing how many Barrett-era songs there were that didn't appear on any official albums. I mean, why wasn't See Emily Play on Piper? It was released as a stand alone single for an album that never was. And with Scarecrow as its B-side, I would think that it was recorded at the same session as the Piper stuff. Crazy.

[D_Davis]

A Sacuerful of Secrets (1968)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002U9Y.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

The second proper album from Floyd, and only proper album to feature all five members of the band: David Gilmour was brought on about 1/2 through, and Barrett vanished off into the ether of a decades long drug-induced mental breakdown. Supposedly, the songs Scream Thy Last Scream and Vegetable Man were to appear on this record, but with the shift in line-up, and the shift from psychedelic rock to a more progressive feel, the band felt that those two songs should be left off. I think this was a good call, as I cannot imagine those two songs on this record.

This is where the band really starts to get interesting. Their composition become longer, more complex, and more experimental. They begin to focus more on atmosphere and sound-design, thus creating a haunting mood that is simultaneously peaceful and frightening. This is one of my favorite PF albums, easily in my personal top 5.

Best songs:

1. Let There Be More Light - Written by Waters, I imagine this song as the blue print for many a post-rock band of today. It begins with a fantastic bass line coupled with some light cymbal work and a meandering organ riff before morphing into a more rhythmic and traditional verse. From the very first song on the album it is clear that the band is blasting off into new territories, as is evident in the music and the lyrics (the main vocal part is sung by Rick Wright).

Here is an awesome life version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gE4UncSsAI&feature=related

2. Remember a Day - a classic example of progressive-space rock. I love the twangy, echoing guitars, and the bouncy piano part compliments the melody and rhythm. Another classic tune written by Wright. The song conjures strong feelings of nostalgia for a time in the past, a time that one can never return to except in memory. The composition is nuanced and complex with morsels of interesting sonic flourishes nestled within the 4.5 minute running time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbxSbc0AwHg

3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun - I'll talk more about this tune at a later time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvSHexRlNvo

[D_Davis]

The Man and the Journey (Live - 1969)

http://www.geocities.com/djthedoctor/man_journey_69gatefold_pre.jpg

There are a ton of awesome bootlegs covering the years of 1969-1971, and this is one of the best in terms of song selection and quality. One of my favorite things about Pink Floyd is how they approached their concerts. They would often tour new songs not yet released and incorporate them into longer concept pieces with different arrangements and lengths. For example, before Meddle was released, their epic song Echoes was sometimes known as The Nothing parts 1-24.

This concert contains two concept pieces, two of Floyd's most famous. The first is called The Man, and it tells the story of a day in the life of a normal dude. He wakes up, works, has tea (at which point the band would actually have tea on stage), has sex, goes to sleep, and has a nightmare. It is more interesting conceptually than it is musically, but it does contain some great moments. The track Nightmare incorporates the song Cymbaline from the soundtrack they did for the French film More (coming soon to the thread).

The second piece is far more interesting musically. It's called The Journey, and it represents a kind of mythological quest. There are parts of this that must have influenced bands such as Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Isis, and other post-rock bands. I cannot imagine hearing and seeing this performance in 1969 - it must have been mind-blowing.

Favorite tracks:

The Man

1. Daybreak - a beautiful little folk number. Sounds like you might imagine daybreak sounding.
2. Nightmare - Cymbaline is one of my favorite PF tunes, and this is an incredible rendition

The Journey

1. Beset By The Creatures of the Deep - this would eventually become Careful With That Axe, Eugene, after also being known as Murderistic Woman. One of the all time great instrumental rock songs; it's loud, epic, passionate, and it totally rocks.

2. Behold the Temple of Light - A brilliant work of epic atmospheric rock. It begins with a spattering of guitar feedback and organ noodling accompanied by cymbal flourishes. While it never breaks out with a strong melody or purpose, it is never dull. This piece demonstrates the band's uncanny ability to create mood and atmosphere with their soundscapes.

...this track transitions into...

3. The End of the Beginning - which would later be worked into parts of Echoes. This is one of my favorite early Floyd tracks. It is beautiful and haunting.

More information:
http://www.pf-roio.de/roio/roio-cd/man_and_journey.cd.html

[Derek]

A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s977.jpg (http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pink_floyd/a_saucerful_of_secrets/)


1) "Remember a Day" - Damn you Davis for picking this song! What starts off as an innocuous little psychedelic pop tune builds into something more, according to one Daniel Davis, "complex with morsels of interesting sonic flourishes". I especially love the flighty piano lines, but also how most of the instruments seem somewhat muted and distanced with only the vocals and random sounds making their way to the foreground. Such a beautiful song.

2) "Let There Be More Light" - Nothing to add to Daniel's thought. Gotta love that wicked bassline!

Live version of both Remember a Day and Let There Be More Light w/Roger Waters laughing and seeming to enjoy himself! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQIlDxAH_I)

3) "Corporal Clegg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKN0-BC9PPg)" - I was actually planning on Set Your Control for this spot, but to add a little something to discussion, I'll go with this song which is great in its own right. Probably the closest Floyd ever came to being The Beatles and they did a pretty damn good job of it. Gilmour's guitar work is the highlight for me, but there are some nice vocal harmonies and a friggin' kazoo. It's the Floyd at their most playful and anarchic.

[D_Davis]

Live version of both Remember a Day and Let There Be More Light w/Roger Waters laughing and seemingly enjoy himself! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQIlDxAH_I)

3) "Corporal Clegg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKN0-BC9PPg)" - I was actually planning on Set Your Control for this spot, but to add a little something to discussion, I'll go with this song which is great in its own right. Probably the closest Floyd ever came to being The Beatles and they did a pretty damn good job of it. Gilmour's guitar work is the highlight for me, but there are some nice vocal harmonies and a friggin' kazoo. It's the Floyd at their most playful and anarchic.

That is an awesome performance, or lypsinc I think (as many of the TV shows were back then). It does look like they are having fun. Man, there are so many great videos of PF from this era. Luckily now, with youtube and Google video, we can actually see them without paying astronomical prices to tape traders.

Corporal Clegg is awesome, and it represents a great transition between the Barrett and Gilmour eras. The kazoo led outro is especially awesome.

[D_Davis]

Sorry, got really busy the last few days. I;ll have an update for this later today.

[D_Davis]

Ummagumma (1969)

http://www.ferhiga.com/progre/portadas/pink-floyd-ummagumma.jpg

One of two albums released in 1969. This is the album that made me a fan of the band. I first heard this in 1989, and up until this point, I always associated PF with the few songs (Money, Hey You, and other more "classic rock" sounding songs) I heard on the classic rock stations, and I was kind of snobby back then so I just dismissed them as an old band.

Little did I know...

However, over the years, this has become one of my least favorite PF albums, and the one I listen to the least. While at one time I praised its experimental nature, I now find it lacking in terms of melody, structure, and composition. It is ambitious, and definitely experimental, but I also find it unpleasing and messy.

It is split into two different albums: a studio recording and a live recording. The live album is not as good as many of the bootlegs from this period, and the studio album is only slightly interesting.

Favorite tracks:

1. The Narrow Way (Part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1DkbsnMm0U&feature=related

One of the most "hippie" sounding things the band would ever do. While I prefer the various live-bootleg recordings of this song, it is pretty good on this recording. The nice, laid back guitar strumming is accompanied by a number of noises including electric guitar, chirping sounds, and otherworldly sounds.

2. Grantchester Meadows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N425jkmHJTE&feature=related

This was one of Waters' contributions to the album, and it is very nice - my favorite track on the album. And, I'll admit, I really liked listening to this song while on various substances. It is trippy, and strangely comforting. Like The Narrow Way, this track conjures images of nature, and it has a fairy-folk, ren-fair, quaint flair to it.

[SirNewt]

Greatest match-cut thread ever.

You are my heros.

I'll just say right now Animals is my fave.

[Derek]

Greatest match-cut thread ever.

You are my heros.

I'll just say right now Animals is my fave.

Sweet, glad you're enjoying it!

Sorry for the delay. I've been sick the past few days, but I'll be sure to get to the next two albums over the weekend.

[Derek]

Ummagumma (1969)

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s1032.jpg ([url=http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pink_floyd/ummagumma/)


Like Daniel, this is the Pink Floyd album I turn to least (along with The Final Cut, which let's face it, was a glorified Waters solo album) though it still has its moments.

1) "The Narrow Way (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYsVxR0Eymw)" - As forgettable as much of the album is, this is the one track I still find myself craving from time to time. The offbeat melodies and slow-burning trippy guitars are all in perfect union, showing early signs of the Floyd's patience and careful attention to detail. It sounds like a lost track from Atom Heart Mother, only not as good as any song on that album. Okay, I guess I'd rather listen to this than "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast".

2) "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxMMnJJuMCQ)" - This has to be the strangest thing the band ever came up with and I for one was absolutely terrified when I first heard it. Not a great song by any means, but man is it out there. Now I actually find it more amusing and have grown to appreciate its spirit of experimentation. And come on, it's Roger Waters scatting with forest animals...that's pretty awesome.

[Derek]

More (1969) [Soundtrack]

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s1031.jpg (http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pink_floyd/more/)

Full disclosure: Before we started this thread, I had only heard parts of this soundtrack and never got around to buying it because I wasn't impressed with what I heard. I've since listened to it twice and would still put it near the bottom of their discography, although I haven't seen the film and I'm sure it works better in context. That said, there are a couple of tracks I dig on their own.

1) "The Nile Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sup-MP4HuaU)" - This is one of the heaviest Floyd songs and one of the very rare times they simply rocked out. Gilmours crunchy guitar is great, but Waters' basswork is the highlight here as this song is the true highlight of the album.

2) "Ibiza Bar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgH4ZVukIB0)" - Another rock-out, this time with a slightly more psychedelic feel in the background guitar and keyboards.

[ledfloyd]

how did i miss this thread?

i should've been alerted. *points to username*

i agree with you guys on syd-era floyd. i like astronomy domine and bike alot. but i hardly consider the syd-era pink floyd. to me pink floyd is roger waters, david gilmour, richard wright and nick mason.

i need to read the rest of the reviews, i've only read the piper ones. and the man and the journey is awesome.

[D_Davis]

Like Daniel, this is the Pink Floyd album I turn to least (along with The Final Cut, which let's face it, was a glorified Waters solo album) though it still has its moments.


I actually really like The Final Cut. I think it is stronger than The Wall, although I wonder if The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking would have been a better final album? But yes, it was billed as Roger Waters with The Pink Floyd, which is arrogant to the extreme!

I'll have my entry up for More tomorrow. I think I like it a bit more than you, but it is not nearly as good as some of their other soundtrack work, specifically Obscured By Clouds, which is among my favorite Floyd records.

[D_Davis]

More (1969)
http://www.musichawk.com/uploads/image/192/image/Pink%20Floyd%20-%20More.jpg

I really like this album, although not as much as one of their other soundtracks. I wish there were more bands out now who would do soundtrack work like this, bands who would treat a soundtrack like a concept album. I would love to see a film with a score written by Sigur Ros, or Godspeed, or Isis. PF was way ahead of their time with their soundtrack work, and their music works perfectly in a cinematic context. Funnily enough, I've never actually seen this film...

Oh yeah, and just imagine how awesome it would have been had Jodorowsky made his version of Dune with art direction by Giger and music by Floyd....

Best tracks:

1. Cymbaline
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBv7w_p6reo

This song blows my mind. I think it is nearly perfect. This must have been one of the band's favorites as well, as it was a staple in their many live shows, and there are a ton of great bootleg recordings of this (one coming up soon to the thread). A great groove, awesome lyrics, fantastic melody, and a haunting atmosphere all add up to one kick ass tune.

Dr. Strange is always changing sides.

2. Green is the Color
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCyKnzEJUGM

Another concert staple, and another brilliant little folksy pop-song. This one has a thick rural feel, made more tangible by the piano, acoustic guitar, and lyrics conjuring emotions of a lost love.

3. Dramatic Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4xByXYdiqo

I love the bass groove here - it was very inspirational to my own bass playing. This is a very simply tune. A minimalistic instrumental number that could easily fit on any of Neu!'s releases.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

I really like this album, although not as much as one of their other soundtracks.


Zabriskie Point? :P

[D_Davis]

Atom Heart Mother (1970)
http://www.utdallas.edu/%7Eawa021000/music/images/pf-atom_heart_mother.jpg

Awesome album cover, not so awesome record. I don't have much to say about this one. The title track, comprising an entire side of the album, is not very good. While the music itself is okay, it's a suit, a "piece of music," the execution of the orchestration and choir leave much to be desired. Floyd's part is great, Ron Geesin's score is not.

I used to have a live bootleg of this (supposedly the first ever recording), without the orchestra and choir, and it is a million times better.

There is also a live version that I will be mentioning soon, one that is also quite good.

The songs comprising side two of this album are more pop orientated, and much better, this they are the only tracks I listen to.

If, Summer '68, and Fat Old Sun are all fantastic tunes, and they totally outshine the mess of the rest of the record.

While Atom Heart Mother is an interesting juncture for the band, it fails to offer anything that allows me to recommend the album as a whole. And for a progressive rock band who writes and records albums, this is a major problem.


If
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1bR1XTt3cI&feature=related

Summer '68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIQB1oAVbvQ&feature=related

Fat Old Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7lw_KSUsPY

These three songs are some of the most playful tunes the band every wrote. I would have loved to see an entire album in this style. The band sounds happy, carefree, and accentuates their sense of quirky, sometimes dark humor in the lyrics and compositions.

[Russ]

Is this the first of the "consensus" greats? I'm always torn between the next (Meddle) and Dark Side, tho like many, Animals holds a special place. Will be interesting to hear opinions on Wish You Were Here also, an album that was considered a bit of a disappointment on its initial release, if only because following Dark Side was the equivalent of the old cimematic axiom, usually attributed to W.C. Fields, ""Never follow a child or animal act."

[D_Davis]

I have about 5 albums (2 studio albums, 1 soundtrack, 1 bootleg, and 1 live film) that consistently compete for my favorite. The live film usually wins.

[Russ]

Pompeii?

[D_Davis]

Pompeii?

Yes sir.

[Teh Sausage]

As much as I love Pink Floyd, I could never get into the first two albums at all. I'd really like to, and have listened to them many times, but I just can't. For me, More is the first 'proper' Floyd album, and Meddle the first great one.

Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother are rather unfortunate spots in their ouvre, but I tend to justify the latter as more of a Floyd/Geesin collaboration, while the former should be considered part of the Syd era because it's half a live album of Syd tracks...um...without Syd. Yeah.

[D_Davis]

Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother are rather unfortunate spots in their ouvre, but I tend to justify the latter as more of a Floyd/Geesin collaboration, while the former should be considered part of the Syd era because it's half a live album of Syd tracks...um...without Syd. Yeah.

I wish I still had that bootleg of Atom Heart Mother - live, without the orchestration. It's actually really, really good. Far better than the version on the album.

Yesterday I synced up Echoes to the Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite segment of 2001. It's uncanny how well this mash up works. Merely seconds make up the differences in length, and the big changes all hit the same general cues. Even some of the lyrics work in describing the on screen imagery.

You can check out all 3 parts on the 'tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK4ekNiI_fI

[Derek]

Atom Heart Mother (1970)

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s2439.jpg (http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pink_floyd/atom_heart_mother/)

I'll make no beef about it - I love this album, warts and all. If this was the last album, they put out, I'd argue it's their finest. Sure, the epicness of "Atom Heart Mother Suite" was absolutely dwarfed in comparison to the behemoth that is "Echoes", released just one year later, but that song makes almost any song look meek, uninventive and restrained by comparison. The Suite has it's moments, of both pure wonder and aimless meandering, and at the very least holds serve for the brilliant pop masterpieces sprinkled on the back side.

One of the main reasons I love music is that in its finest moments, it not only manages to awe and inspire, but capture a time and place that is forever cemented in my mind. With AHM, it is the summer after my freshman year when I was essentially stranded on campus in North Carolina with no one but two dormmates who I was barely friends with and working at internship at a company with no one under the age of 40. I certainly wasn't miserable, but it was the first time in my life that I'd felt so alone. It was also the summer where this album started getting a lot of spins.

To this day, I get choked up at the mere thought of "If", which I still consider one of the most beautifully melancholic songs I've ever heard. It's one of those songs I tend to avoid because of the emotions it inevitably drudges up whenever I hear it. It's probably one of their simplest songs, but damn is it ever effective, especially once Gilmours wailing guitars enter from the distance, so full of emotion that they seem to embody the longing and pain evident in the lyrics. This is as intimate and naked as Waters ever got - not a musical or lyrical peak by any means, but there's no sense that he's holding anyone at arms length. My vote for their most underrated song, along with a certain track on their next album...

"Summer '68" is Wright's shining moment on the album with a beautiful piano line along with atmospheric keyboards that fill the sound out until the acoustic guitars explode a little more than a minute, picking the album up from its malaise and taking into purely blissful pop paradise. Sure, the vocal harmonizing is lifted straight from the Beach Boys, but the song is like nothing they ever did, so I don't hold it against the Floyd for using the influence to their benefit. Great horns near the end too.

"Fat Old Sun" may be the least of my favorites on this album, but it's still gorgeous and inventive. Davis will have to confirm this, but I'd wager it's also the first time Guilmour broke out the slide guitar (I can only assume that's what's providing the background melodies). Mason's drumming is methodical and every beat is felt in this song - its combo with Guilmour's fat riff in the last two minutes is absolutely glorious.

Imperfect as a whole, but the strength of those three songs and parts of the Suite are more than enough for me to overlook the mistake, "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" and the unfocused parts of the titular track.

1) "If (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1bR1XTt3cI)"

2) "Summer '68 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icPk3lmeVhQ)"

3) "Fat Old Sun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7lw_KSUsPY)"

[Sven]

Excellent call, Derek, on AHM. Love the tracks you selected.

Great thread. Reading with interest. Apparently I'm a bigger fan of Ummagumma than either of you. It's in my top 5 Floyds.

[D_Davis]

Nice write up D.

We agree on how great those three songs are, for sure, but I simply can't overlook my feelings for the rest of the album. Especially since there were far better performances and recordings of the title track elsewhere. It's not the song I dislike, it's the way it is executed on this album - I feel it was a big misstep to include the orchestra and choir.

[D_Davis]

Great thread. Reading with interest. Apparently I'm a bigger fan of Ummagumma than either of you. It's in my top 5 Floyds.

The problem with Ummagumma is that almost every song on the album was performed and recorded better on other albums, both official releases and bootlegs.

[D_Davis]

An Hour With Pink Floyd (Live on KQED - Video) (1970)

http://i1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/267/093/31/o_PF_kqed_2.JPG

I love the internet.

Because of it, this long sought after Pink Floyd bootleg is readily available for anyone to view and listen to. It is a beautiful thing.

Why this recording has never been officially remastered and released is one of life's eternal mysteries.

Recorded here, for public television in San Francisco, are the staples of the Floyd's live show during this era, with each performance being truly remarkable. The track listing reads like a best of pre-Meddle Floyd, with an early performance of one of Meddle's key tracks:

Atom Heart Mother
Cymbaline
Grantchester Meadows
Green Is The Colour
Careful With That Axe Eugene
Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun

I like some of these performances more than the ones found on the official albums. Atom Heart Mother and Cymbaline are especially awesome. Without the poorly conceived orchestration and choir work found on the official release of this epic track, AHM truly shines on this bootleg. It is more raw, more nuanced, and far less distracting. It is easier to hear what the band's original concept was, and the performance of each piece is great, especially Gilmour's guitar work and Wright's keyboards, which rarely sounded better.

Cymbaline is one of my favorite PF songs - I love it, and I am so thankful that they seemed to love it as well, as there are a ton of great recordings of this song. The version here is one of my favorites. Gilmour's vocals are fantastic, and his charisma really shines on this.

So here it is, An Hour With Pink Floyd. (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=27934221770665 11359&ei=UoLrSKSeHJryqAOaz_HVDw&q=an+hour+with+pink+floyd)

I think this is a great moment in rock history, caught on tape, and now it can be viewed in its entirety. I downloaded this and made a VCD out of it. It is also available on various bittorrent sites.

[dreamdead]

Did this thread die just before you got to the awesome Floyd releases?

:cry:

[Derek]

Did this thread die just before you got to the awesome Floyd releases?

:cry:

I'm up for continuing it.

I think it was just a lack of communication that stopped it. I thought it was Daniel's turn to start with Meddle and I'm sure he thought I was up...and then we both forgot about it.

[D_Davis]

I'm up for continuing it.

I think it was just a lack of communication that stopped it. I thought it was Daniel's turn to start with Meddle and I'm sure he thought I was up...and then we both forgot about it.

This is true.

I forgot I ended with a bootleg.

I will commence with no less than 2 entries this week, beginning with Meddle in a day or so.

:)

[Raiders]

This is true.

I forgot I ended with a bootleg.

I will commence with no less than 2 entries this week, beginning with Meddle in a day or so.

:)

Lying is bad for the soul.

[D_Davis]

I know....


The last week ended up being far busier (in a good way) than I had anticipated.

[D_Davis]

Meddle (1971)

http://www.geocities.com/rogerwaters1000/meddle.jpg

Drops of liquid LSD being dripped into an earl canal? Perhaps...

I didn't get into Pink Floyd until my junior or senior year in high school. I remember people telling me how great they were, and how spacey and moody they were. However, the songs I often heard on the radio - Money, Wish You Were Here, and Hey You - led my to believe otherwise. I just didn’t understand what the appeal was: to me they sounded like any other classic rock band, an era I have never overly been fond of. Then one day while at a used record store in Fresno called Ragin’ Records, I came across an album by Pink Floyd called Meddle. Upon careful inspection, I noticed that one song took up an entire side of the record. Always being a sucker for long and epic songs (at the time I was digging through the shelves looking for Tangerine Dream albums), I decided to blind buy the album - and thus started my journey into the brilliant, genre-spanning career of Pink Floyd.

The album opens with One of These Days, a song that would sound perfectly at home on any Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mono or any other post-rock band’s album; it is a dark, moody and aggressive instrumental track that immediately sets the tone for the epic album. Meddle then segues into two of my favorite Floyd tracks of all time: the softly moving and acoustic number A Pillow of Winds, and the amazing mid-tempo pseudo-shoegazer (seriously, just add reverbed distortion and you practically have a Slowdive tune) track Fearless. Fearless can be seen (or heard rather) as the blueprint for the music crafted by many modern shoegazer and post-rock bands: its mid-tempo groove is simply dream-like, as the melodies and instrumentation carry the listener into a state of bliss.

And then there is Echoes.

Echoes is an epic musical composition that runs from mid-tempo space-rock, to funked out psychedelic jamming, on to outerspace-like chaotic noise, and then back again to lusciously arranged mid-tempo rock, all while conjuring themes of mysticism with lyrics steeped in poetic nuances of sleep, dreams, flight, mortality and infinity. The first time I heard Echoes, I finally got it – I finally recognized why Pink Floyd was considered a band that broke free of genre conventions and helped to shape the landscape of modern musical composition.

So yeah.

Meddle is a bona fide masterpiece.

Favorite tracks:

A Pillow of Wind
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdanCpRItIo)
Fearless (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWH01DBJxlo)

Echoes Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLfIqHJ2HGQ)
Echoes Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juD0kj7AlFw&feature=related)
Echoes Part 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJP7iqRZeXU&feature=related)
--These are synced with 2001. This is now the only way I watch the final segment of this film. I've read that, originally, Kubrik wanted PF to record the soundtrack for this film. However, they turned him down and later realized their mistake. They then recorded Echoes as an unofficial soundtrack to this final segment. It fits so perfectly that I tend to think there must be some truth to the rumor. It really is uncanny how well these sync up.

[dreamdead]

Great thoughts! Though it wasn't the first PF album I found myself drawn to, Meddle is the embodiment of greatness. I took this album out from the library years ago and listened to it constantly for something like 3 months.

"Fearless" and "A Pillow of Winds" are masterpieces in miniature, doing nothing extravagant but existing as fully-formed visions in meditative rock.

[Spaceman Spiff]

My top 5:

1. Wish You Were Here
2. Animals
3. Dark Side of the Moon
4. Obscured by Clouds (very underrated)
5. The Wall (kinda overrated)

[D_Davis]

I accidentally skipped Relics - but it is more of a comp...

Don't know if I'll go back to it. The best songs have already been covered on the previously mentioned bootlegs.

[D_Davis]

Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii (1972)
(Yes, this is just copied from my Top 100)
http://www.genrebusters.com/images/pf1.jpg

If you were to ask me what the single greatest filmed musical performance in the history of rock 'n roll is, I would say, without a moment's hesitation, “Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii.” That this performance is captured on film for us to revisit, time and time again, is truly a blessing of great magnitude. What sets this apart from any other filmed performance I have seen is, well, everything. Yes, everything: the sound quality, the skill of the performers, the place in which it is performed, the songs chosen, the atmosphere, and the mood generated by it all is something of a cosmic miracle.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/pf6.jpg

Adrien Maben, the film's director, struck cinematic gold with this “concert” film. I put the word “concert” in quotes because it really isn't a concert, that is, the performance was filmed without an audience. After the huge and epic production of the Woodstock Festival, the concert film as a genre had grown stale and tired. They began to rely on a formula: show the band, show the crowd's reaction, show the band, show the crowd's reaction, and on and on into infinity. The only audience present for the Floyd's Pompeii concert was the film and audio crew, and the only time they are shown is when they happen to be working in the shots, filming or recording the band. What a strange thing it is to see and hear a band performing live on film without an audience in attendance.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/pf2.jpg

The Pink Floyd were always a band that did their own thing and blazed new musical trails, all while embracing commercial success. They were a popular rock band who wanted their music and shows to be the sole focus, and would often perform shrouded in a kaleidescope of lights, drawing the attention away from them as individuals. They were not the stars of their shows, the music was - it was all about the experience. While conceiving of the idea for this live performance, Maben struggled to find a setting that would properly capture the band's sound and mystique. It would be boring to simply film such a unique band on a normal stage, in a mundane manner, and so while on vacation with his wife in Pompeii, he decided that the Colosseum would perfectly compliment what the Floyd was all about. Pompeii is a place filled with the memories of death, a place teeming with emotion, and a place bursting with energy like some strange and mystic cosmic relic. In other words, it was the perfect place for the Floyd's brand of epic space-rock.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/pf3.jpg

Birthed from dissonant sounds mimicking otherworldly places, the performance begins quietly with Echoes Part 1. As the epic song builds to a sonic swirl, the camera slowly descends from an elevated level down to the earthen stage of the Colosseum's dirt floor. Surrounded by partially dilapidated stone walls, the unusual venue generates beautiful natural acoustics, and creates an almost frighteningly intimate vehicle for the band's enormous sound. As the day wanes and turns to evening, the band continues on through a set which includes Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Careful With That Axe Eugene, One of These Days I'm Going to Cut You Into Little Pieces, and A Saucerful of Secrets, before concluding with the epic finale, Echoes Part 2. Maben's coverage of the band is wonderful, and each performer - David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright - is given the time to shine, and the time to let their passion for the music be recognized. Off stage, the Floyd were like the prototypical goofy English boys in a rock band, but on stage they would go through an intense transformation: they would metamorphoses into serious beings possessed by the very sonicness of their music.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/pf4.jpg

The audio for the performance was recorded like a studio album. A large mixing board and a 24-track recording deck were hauled into the Colosseum for optimal sound fidelity. While no over dubs were ever used, the Floyd were vehemently against the use of prerecorded back-tracks, parts of the performances were actually recorded live in a studio in Paris while the band was working on Dark Side of the Moon. As well-known perfectionists, the Floyd wanted to tighten up some of the tracks and so they did, by calling in the same crew along with the film's director. During these recording sessions, Maben also filmed short interviews with the band, and captured some wonderfully candid moments. One such moment features Nick Mason ordering a slice of square apple pie without the crust - don't ask, but it is quite funny. These are some of the most intimate moments of the Floyd ever filmed, and they offer up a wonderful look into the ongoings of a band at the apex of their creativity.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/pf5.jpg

If you've never taken the plunge into the Pink Floyd's early 1970's period, this would be a perfect launching point. The music they made during this period still sounds like it is from the future, and is still a great influence on any number of modern post-rock or space-rock bands. The songs featured on this performance are among the greatest rock songs ever recorded, and they are representative of a band that defied categorization for much of their career. Adrien Maben's film expertly captures this important moment in pop-culture history, and I will be forever grateful for this document of a great musical talent. However, I do offer up one word of warning: if you rent the newly remastered DVD, do not, I repeat, DO NOT watch the new and extended director's cut. The less said about this travesty the better. Just click on over to the special features menu and watch the original theatrical version, and pretend the other version doesn't exist.


You can watch the whole thing on Google video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hurn3-Y2b1g)

[megladon8]

Sorry I haven't been in here yet - don't come into the music forum often.

But this is an awesome thread. I must agree with D that I've never found the Barrett stuff to be Floyd's greatest era, and I do encounter many who disagree with me vehemently.

I even prefer their later output. "The Division Bell" is awesome.

[D_Davis]

I even prefer their later output. "The Division Bell" is awesome.

The Division Bell is a great album, and it is unjustifiably panned by too many Floyd fans.

(But then again, I also love The Final Cut. It's my favorite post Dark Side Floyd album)

David Gilmour's latest solo stuff - the live album and studio album - is fantastic as well.

[megladon8]

The Division Bell is a great album, and it is unjustifiably panned by too many Floyd fans.

(But then again, I also love The Final Cut. It's my favorite post Dark Side Floyd album)

I love "The Final Cut" as well! Great, great album.



David Gilmour's latest solo stuff - the live album and studio album - is fantastic as well.

I have not heard this stuff yet. I'll check it out.

[D_Davis]

By the way, Live in Pompeii is my favorite PF recording.

[D_Davis]

Derek - should I keep going?